Key for opening tearing strip containers



April 28, 959 'THEN 2,884,158

KEY FOR-OPENING TEARING STRIP CONTAINERS j Filed Aug. 9, i195? INVENTOR.

EDWARD .0. THEN ATTORNEYS Unitd .%rates KEY FOR OPENING TEARING STRIP CONTAINERS Application August 9, 1957, Serial No. 677,337 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-52) The present invention relates to a key for removing a tear-strip from cans or containers and has particular reference to strip guiding devices on the key.

An object of the instant invention is the provision of a key that guides the tear-strip as it is removed from the container and wound up in a coil on the key shank and thereby keeps the coil as it builds up, in properly aligned relation and thus tends to facilitate removal of the strip and protect the user against injury by the strip.

Another object is to provide such a key which embodies integrally formed guiding devices for engaging a tearing strip at opposite sides thereof for guiding it into a coil as it is removed from the container.

Another object is to provide such a key that can be readily and economically manufactured from a single strand of stiff wire and in one piece so as to avoid assembly of loose pieces to produce the key.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper end of a tear strip container carrying an opening key embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the container illustrated in Fig. 1 and showing the key applied to the tear-strip as at the beginning of the strip removing operation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the container showing a slightly modified key in place on the container;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevational view similar to Fig. 2 and showing the key in an advanced position during the strip removing operation; and

Fig. 5 is a part sectional and part plan view taken substantially along the broken line 55 in Fig. 4, with parts broken away.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention, the drawing discloses a novel key A (Figs. 1 and 2) for opening a sealed sheet metal can or container B comprising a tubular body C having top and bottom end members D permanently secured thereto by suitable end seams E. The body C is provided With an encircling tear-strip F preferably disposed adjacent the top of the container and adapted to be torn out to open the container. The tear-strip F preferably is defined by a pair of spaced and parallel score lines or otherwise weakened areas G to facilitate tearing out of the strip. A tongue H formed on one end of the tear-strip F preferably is provided to start the tearing action.

The key A is made in one piece from a single strand of stiff wire and comprises a pair of adjacently disposed, preferably parallel and contiguous, shanks 21, 22 as best shown in Fig. 4. The upper ends of the shanks 21, 22 preferably merge into a flat loop 23 which constitutes a handle for turning the key.

One of the shanks, preferably the shank 22, is provided, in spaced relation to loop 23, with a laterally extending lug or projection 24. The other shank 21 is formed with an axially aligned slotted extension 26 which extends beyond the projection 24 on the shank 22 and upon which the tear-strip F is wound in coil formation as the strip is removed from the container. This extension 26 preferably is flattened to increase its width and is provided with a longitudinal slot 27 to receive the tongue H of the tear-strip F to start the winding action. The extension 26 preferably is slightly longer than the Width of the tear-strip F and its lower end is bent laterally in the same direction as the projection 24 and preferably parallel therewith to provide a second or auxiliary lug or projection 28. These projections 24, 28 are coil guiding projections and are spaced apart a distance of slightly greater than the width of the tear-strip F.

In order to secure the key A to the container B for shipment and use therewith, a tab 31 (Figs. 1 and 3) preferably is provided on the terminal end of the guide projection 28. This tab 31 may be an axially aligned extension of the projection 28 as shown in Fig. 1 or may be angularly disposed to the projection as shown in Fig. 3. In either case the tab 31 preferably is flattened to facilitate welding or soldering of the tab to the top D of the container and is also connected to the projection 28 by a score line or other weakened area to facilitate breaking of the key from the tab in the usual manner for use in removing the tear-strip F.

In operation, the key A after being broken from its tab 31 is applied to the tear-strip F in the usual manner as shown in Fig. 2, with the tongue H inserted in the slot 27 of the key shank extension 26. Upon rotation of the key by its loop handle 23 the tear-strip F is torn and pulled away from the container body C along the score lines G and is Wound up on the key shank extension 26 in a coil K as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. During this winding operation the coil K builds up between the two spaced guide projections 24, 28 and since the space between these projections is only slightly greater than the width of the tear-strip F, the projections prevent side play or slippage of the layers of the coil and thereby maintain the wound-up strip in proper coil formation as it builds up. Thus the strip F is more readily removed from the container and injury to the operator is prevented.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it Will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

A key for removing a tear strip from a container, comprising an open loop of stiff wire terminating at its opposite ends in a pair of parallel juxtaposed shanks of different lengths disposed normal to and in the plane of said loop, said shanks terminating in a pair of spaced parallel right angular projections also disposed in the plane of said loop and defining therebetween a tear strip receiving channel, the longer of said key shanks adjacent its said projection being apertured for the reception of the free end of said tear strip for winding thereupon, whereby the successive convolutions of the strip are disposed in said channel and are held by said parallel projections against axial displacement on said longer key shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,300,270 Wakefield Oct. 27, 1942 2,552,961 Grossenback May 15, 1951 2,747,764 Hooser May 29', 1956 

